I'm 33, female, and have mild Autism. I'm happy and have a fairly independent life - I'm lucky that I have good friends who are very understanding of me and my condition. My doctor classes me as a 'well adjusted' example. I'm not married and have never been in a serious relationship. I suppose I could have been - I have male friends and get asked out. I think it's more of a personal thing and decision. You never entirely outgrow Autism, though many people make significant improvement during their twenties, as I seemed to - I was a bit of a 'late bloomer'.

These days, I think that there is more understanding and help available for people with my condition than there was for my generation - in my opinion, it makes a great difference. My family just did the best they could for me at the time - but without all that, I'm sure I wouldn't be as 'adjusted' as I am now. I believe that environmental factors and yes, early intervention, can play a big part in outcome.

School was fine for me, academically wise. I favoured certain subjects, like maths, computers and science - not the usual subjects for a girl. But I believe it's important to allow an Autistic child to follow their own skills and interests, instead of trying to force them to conform to the 'norm'. You can have Autism and still lead a happy and fulfilling life. Sometimes, you may need to make some concessions and adjustments. It can be a bit of a balancing act. As I've said in other posts, I believe that 'quality of life' is most vital - not necessarily trying to make everyone the same as each other.